Doctor Who: ‘The Chase: The Death of Doctor Who’ REVISITED

‘The Chase: The Death of the Doctor’ – Barbara, the Doctor, and Ian; credit: hulu.com

Hey, folks. Part five of our recap/review of the classic Doctor Who serial ‘The Chase’ here. The title of this episode is ‘The Death of Doctor Who.’ This was during a time when referring to him as “Doctor Who” was not contentious. We’re back to a more traditional First Doctor feel with this episode. Who wants to bet that the Doctor doesn’t actually die? Let’s find out…

The year is undetermined. Barbara, Ian, and the Doctor begin to explore Mechanus. They discover what Ian describes as “living fungoid[es].” Well, yes, Ian. Fungus is a living thing, after all. These particular fungoides, however, move and react as some sort of animal would. They appear potentially hostile, so the Doctor suggests that the crew move on. Suddenly, a bright light illuminates the area and the fungoides shrink back. Ian and the Doctor wonder about seemingly intelligently designed system of lighting.

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The Daleks decide that everything on the planet is to be destroyed. They send Robot-Doctor to assassinate the TARDIS crew. Vicki emerges from the Dalek’s ship and gets mauled by a fungoid. The others find what looks like an elongated precursor to the sonic screwdriver, presumably used for fending off the photophobic fungoides. A plan is formed on how to sneak passed the Daleks: Turn out the lights. Vicki finds the TARDIS and attacked by more fungoides. The other three hear her scream and the Doctor and Ian find her unconscious.

Meanwhile, the Daleks are attacked by a fungoid and kill it. And by “attacked” I mean that it approaches them. Robot-Doctor finds Barbara and tells her that Ian is dead he leads her away from the cave in which they are hiding. Ian and the Doctor bring Vicki there. When she awakens, she tells them about the robot. Ian runs off to warn Barbara, but the robot strikes her at the sound of Ian’s approaching calls. Ian attacks the robot and it flees. He then explains to Barbara that that was an imposter.

All five end up in the same clearing and Ian attacks the real Doctor. We know that he is the real Doctor because the obvious double is off to the side with Barbara and Vicki. Barbara soon figures out the mistake and the two Doctors engage in a brief battle, which ends in the Doctor pulling out some wiring from the robot’s chest.

Next: Page 2 of Doctor Who: ‘The Chase: The Death of Doctor Who’ REVISITED

‘The Chase: The Death of the Doctor’ – Elevated City; credit: hulu.com

The Daleks find the TARDIS and have to fend off another fungoid attack. It’s super cute when the three of them nod to each other in agreement with their eye stalks. Exhausted, the Vicki, Barbara, and the Doctor fall asleep in the cave. Ian keeps watch outside. A… thing… descends from the ceiling to peer at the three slumbering on the floor. It looks like an upside down walking stick with a camera in the handle.

After the… thing… is gone, the Doctor wakes up and goes outside to find Ian asleep at his post. He then spies a beautifully elegant elevated structure and alerts the others. The architecture is right out of a Tolkienian elven city. They run and hide from some approaching Daleks. As they are throwing ideas around, the Doctor slips away to pretend that he is the robot. The Daleks don’t buy it, and the Doctor narrowly escapes.

A wall drops and a mysterious geodesic sphere reveals itself to the crew. It says the following:

"Eight hundred thirtyMechanoid, English, input, enter."

Cryptic, right? As they hear the Daleks approaching, they join the sphere in its alcove.

It is also worth mentioning that, for the entire episode, they’ve been carrying around a device which is never fully explained. Is it the TARDIS’s broken time mechanism?

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Next: Is the Doctor's Daughter, Jenny, Dead or Alive?

Tomorrow, we’ll post the sixth and final installment, ‘The Planet of Decision.’ Bye for now.